Do you recognize a difference between Norwegian students and foreigners?

-Yes, we do, especially in essays. They can’t manage the language as well as the Norwegians do. Most of the foreigner students know the surface of the language, but when it gets more complicated, understanding becomes quiet a problem. They know the every-day Norwegian, such as; what time is it, how much is it, and so on.

Is there any difference between those who arrived Norway as kids, and those who arrived later? What about those who have Norwegian friends?

- If they have Norwegian friends also, and not only friends with their own background and language. But that doesn’t make the big difference, really. The immigrants with a great deal of Norwegian friends learn the language in a totally different way than the ones without these friends. The Norwegian influence is of course of a larger matter among these than among those who learn Norwegian only at school.

Do you think it’s better for immigrants to learn their own mother tongue in stead of Norwegian?

- Not at all! Not in stead of Norwegian, but in addition to this. All the foreigners should have a chance to learn their own mother tongue, but they also need all the education of Norwegian they can get.

We have heard that foreigners are often being teased or discriminated because of their heritage, but that this does not happen while the teacher is in the room. We ask Mr. Olsen.

- Yes, I have been witness to discriminating attitudes in class. Not in general subjects, but in other classes these have been seen.

Do you think it has been a positive experience having students from other countries in your classes?

- Absolutely! I think it is very healthy to have several different cultures represented in a class, also here in Vennesla.